


flashover

by bunnyboots



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Just two kids in love, Pining, Romance, gang au but not really its just how the crystal gems were formed, texting au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:26:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25197667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnyboots/pseuds/bunnyboots
Summary: After Connie receives a text from an wrong number, her desire for a friend overpowers her mom's rules of not talking to strangers on her phone. When she inevitably gets caught, her communication with the bright boy named Steven is severed.Three and a half years and a new phone later, Connie gets an incredibly similar text to the one that brightened up her day all that time ago. And this time, she won't let anyone get in the way of her friendship she wants to pursue.(aka the texting au that nobody asked for)
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 19
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

As her phone fired off like a gunshot, Connie nearly jumped out of her skin. The sound had immediately startled her out of her entranced state caused by one of the many books beside her bed. She immediately lunged for her phone, praying that she wasn’t in trouble. As her warm cacao eyes scanned the screen, a furrow appeared between her brows. 

Nobody had her phone number besides her direct family and people she was doing group projects with in school. So why was there an unknown number sending her four texts at a time?

As Connie unlocked her phone she was greeted with the joyously smiling face of a boy her age, probably around eleven to thirteen years old.

_ hi pearl its steven!!!!!!!!!! amy gave me ur number ! so i can text u on my phone i just got :3 _

_ [selfie pic] _

_ check it out! it even has a camera! _

_ now i can take pics of everyone together! _

Fluffy, loose black curls fell in a halo around his pudgy cheeks and face. Two dark coffee shaded eyes absolutely sparkled at Connie from her phone screen, a perfect pair with the wide goofy smile and equally dorky peace sign he was giving the camera.

Connie studied the boy in confusion for a moment before swiftly typing out a reply to inform Steven that she was not who he thought she was.

**I think you have the wrong number, my name isn’t Pearl**

_ oh!! then what is ur name? _

His response was immediate, as though he had been staring at his phone screen while awaiting the response. 

Connie paused. She shouldn’t be giving random strangers her name, who knew what they could do with that information? Her parents had raised her better than that! 

**Sorry, I don’t think it’s safe to tell someone I don’t know my name**

_ oh wow ur right!! _

_ well then do u wanna be friends? we can get to know each other then u can tell me ur name! _

_ im steven _

Connie looked at her screen in slight shock. Friends? Why would he want to be friends with someone he had never seen before? Furthermore, why would Steven want to be friends with Connie of all people? All of her peers never seemed to stick around for too long. She had never had a real friend before. 

**That might be. I can’t promise I’ll tell you my name though, that’s top secret information I have to keep in case you’re a 40 year old creep or something**

_ well i promise im only 13 !  _

**How can I trust your word?**

_ [selfie pic] _

_ would a 40 y/o have skin as smooth as mine?? _

**Maybe you moisturize?**

_ idk how do i know YOURE not the creep?? _

**I’m only 12!!**

_ suresure sounds like somethin a creep would say _

_ jk i believe u _

_ are u a boy or girl btw? _

**So you can tell the CIA? Don’t think so buddy**

_ noooo!!! just so i dont misgender u D:  _

**A convincing alibi**

**I’m kidding, I’m a girl!**

_ im sure u could tell from the pic but im a boy :3 _

_ anyway if ur not gonna tell me ur name i gotta make one up for u _

**You really don’t**

_ no i definitely do, otherwise ill keep thinking of u as the girl who called me a 40 y/o  _

**Okay yeah maybe something besides that**

_ let me think… _

_ do ur friends call you any nicknames? _

**No, I’m not that close with anyone.**

_ OH MY GOSH THIS IS GONNA BE UR FIRST NICKNAME???  _

**Yes???**

_ oh no this is so much pressure _

_ i gotta pick a rlly good one _

**How about Archimicarus?**

_ is that from something? _

**It’s from a book I’m reading right now! It’s called The Spirit Morph Saga**

_ ohhh ! i dont read very much but it sounds neat _

_ still, archimicarus is a really cool name!!!! lets go with that :D _

**Alright!**

_ so archimicarus, what do u do for fun? _

**I read books!**

**I like fantasy a lot but also really enjoy learning about the real world. Studying is also something I do to pass time**

_ studying??? isnt that like, super boring? _

**Not when you’re me, I guess. I enjoy learning new things, so school is a perfect way to do that**

**Do you not like school?**

_ oh im not in school right now _

_ pearl mentors me at home, its super fun! _

**Oh wow! Homeschool always sounded interesting to try but my parents are way too busy to make time for that**

**Plus the social interaction is nice**

_ i just hang out around my town usually to get my “social interaction” _

_ its a rlly small town so everyone knows each other _

**Oh man, I’m jealous! We moved to a bigger city recently for my parents’ work and I miss the smaller town, even if we did live on the outskirts**

_ big cities are so suffocating :( theres hardly any plants and u cant swim at the beach _

For the rest of the evening, Connie and Steven chatted about everything from travel to food. It was strange, but the boy had a way of keeping Connie wanting to know more and to share more. Screw stranger danger, this was the longest she had been able to hold a conversation with someone besides her parents. Steven made talking feel so easy.

Even so, she made sure to not give away anything too personal. Although she was excited about making a new friend, Connie wasn’t about to throw away everything her parents had taught her about people on the internet, even if it wasn’t technically the internet they were messaging on. 

Steven would have to remain a secret from her parents if she wanted to remain friends with him.

The next couple of days went by in a joyful blur for Connie. Though she did make sure to stay on top of her studies, that didn’t mean she was without distractions. In fact, every time her phone went off her heart would pound a little faster as the excitement shot through her. If she ever really needed to focus, she’d tell Steven and he would text her in 15 minute intervals. 

It was going to be a shame when fall break ended. Connie wouldn’t be able to talk to Steven as much when school started up, plus she’d have to double down on the studying. However, she was almost certain he’d stay her friend throughout it. Afterall, why would he put in the effort now if he was planning on stopping later?

Connie was snapped out of her reverie by the ever faithful ding of her phone.

_ ARCHIMICARUS !!!!!!!! _

_ LOOK _

_ [selfie pic] _

_ ISN’T IT AMAZING _

**Is that a backpack??**

_ A CHEESEBURGER BACKPACK!!!! _

_ all the different layers have a different pouch!!!!!! _

_ i can fit so many things in it _

**Wow! That’s incredible!**

**What are you going to put in it?**

_ EVERYTHING _

A giggle escaped from the girl as she read the texts. Really, how was this boy so funny without even trying?

Connie compared their texting styles. Her’s was so stiff compared to his, yet she couldn’t seem to abandon the proper spelling and grammar she worked towards in school. Steven, however, seemed to type out whatever he was thinking with very little care of how it presented, as long as it was displayed with the same emotions that he himself was feeling. It was an interesting combo between them, but somehow it worked in their favor.

_ omg my ukulele can fit in it  _

**You play ukulele?**

_ oh yeah! rn im learning the bass, guitar, and drums  _

_ do u play anything? _

**Wow that’s incredible! I didn’t know you were so talented**

**I play violin, but I’m not the best at it yet**

_ yet!! that means u will be _

_ we should jam sometime!!! _

_ we could be jambuds! _

**I’d love that :)**

After that, her phone went silent. Connie debated if she should pick the conversation back up, but in the end she decided to leave it. After all, classifying the nomenclature of animals called for her unwavering attention if she wanted to have the biology assignment ready for turning in the next day. 

Ten minutes went by before she heard anything from Steven. However, it wasn’t a text so much of an audio file titled “jambuds.”

_ “The sun is bright, our shirts are clean, we’re sitting up above the sea-- come on and share this jam with me!” _

The higher pitched masculine voice that she could only imagine was Steven’s was accompanied by a few short ukulele chords winded together. He was good. 

Connie couldn’t imagine how she’d be able to one up that. It was strange hearing his voice for the first time, but not shocking. It suited his features well. 

She stood up from her desk and took her simple wooden violin out of its leather case. It had been a while since she played, but she had to try.

The chords were easy enough to master, she only had to mimic them from the audio clip. Finding lyrics was a whole other ballpark. Connie took about 20 minutes experimenting with different words before settling on her verse of the song. She had put a different twist on the word “jam” that she hoped Steven would appreciate.

**“Peach or plum or strawberry, any kind is fine you see, come on and share this jam with me.”**

She couldn’t help the nerves that wracked her as she sent it. She never liked recordings of her voice, and couldn’t believe she was sending it to someone she had never actually met before. But it wasn’t as though Steven would make fun of her, and he had sent his audio first.

A moment after the file was sent, her phone blew up in a cacophonous flurry of notifications.

_ OMG AAAA _

_ ARCHIMICARUS U NEVER TOLD ME U COULD SING _

_ ALSO UR VIOLIN IS AMAZING _

_ TEACH ME TO PLAY PLSSS _

_ WE’RE JAMBUDS 4EVER NOW _

_ WE NEED TO WRITE MORE SONGS TOGETHER  _

_ RIGHT NOW _

_ ok maybe not rn its getting late buT _

_ ur so talented!! wow! _

**Steven! You’re making my phone ding so much!**

_ im sorry!! im just so excited ur so good! _

**Thank you, but you’re the one who’s good! You did the beginning in 10 minutes!**

_ but u played off it so perfectly!! _

_ listen we’re both good together!  _

**I agree**

**That was a lot of fun, we should definitely jam again :)**

_ lets hope the jam fun… spreads! _

_ get it?? because jam is a spread _

**That was horrible, but unfortunately I got it**

_ awww come on it was creative! give me points for that at least _

**You can have one creativity point**

_ hurray!! :D _

**But unfortunately the pun itself was worth -100 points that +1 only puts you at -99**

_ nooooo!! D: _

**You’ll just have to try harder next time**

_ ill do it _

_ im gonna get up to +100 points _

**Good luck, you didn’t have a very promising start**

_ rude!!!! _

**I think you’re just a bit jelly of how my amazing puns squeeze yours to a pulp**

_ did u just _

**;^)**

_ )^; _

As the week came to a close, the pair were in the middle of discussing The Spirit Morph Saga and whether Steven should read them when there was a knock at Connie’s door. Priyanka, the young girl’s mother, walked in. Her lab coat was still hanging around her, signaling that she had just gotten off of work at the hospital. Connie must’ve been too preoccupied texting to have noticed the sound of the garage door opening.

“I sure hope you’ve been studying and not reading your books all day-” Her sentence was immediately cut off by the sight of her daughter looking like a deer caught in headlights, phone in hand. “Who are you talking to?”

“I- uhm, no one, I was just...” Connie stumbled over her words.

Priyanka frowned and approached her daughter. “Connie. Let me see.” She stuck out her hand.

The young girl’s face sunk. “Yes, ma’am.” She handed her phone to her mother, knowing not only what trouble she was in but also that she was about to lose the only friend she’d ever had-- and only had for less than a week!

Just as expected, Priyanka’s eyes grew angry with the force of a protective mother as she read back through to the beginning of the texts. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Connie, this is exactly what your father and I were afraid would happen if we gave you a cell phone. It was supposed to be for contacting us and for school purposes only. And now you go start talking to strangers?!” 

“He messaged me first!”

“You could have told him no and blocked the number!”

“But-”

“No buts!” Priyanka turned the phone off and ran a hand through her hair. “I know you’re better than this, Connie. You’re grounded. I’m going to be setting up some new rules on this phone before you can have it back by the time school starts up again.” 

As the woman turned to leave, she paused in the doorway. “I’m going to talk to your father about this so we can work out the details of your punishment. I’m disappointed that you would disobey us so easily.”

The door shut and Connie felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. She desperately wished she could have messaged Steven goodbye and said thank you, but now neither of them would have closure. As much as she wanted to come up with a plot to get her phone back and message him, she knew Priyanka’s word was law and that she’d have the cell phone on her until the restrictions were put in place. She berated herself for a moment for not writing down his phone number in case this happened.

Oh well. Nothing good seemed to last in her life right now anyways, why should she have expected a friendship formed only through text would have stayed consistent?

Connie let out a sigh and flopped onto her bed. She reminded herself that soon, once she entered high school, she would be able to exercise a lot more freedom. But for now, she was stuck daydreaming about a life that was just out of her reach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> christ this is my first fanfic i've written since 2016 lmao  
> anyways this chapter is mostly background for setting the stage! i might come back and edit this tbh.  
> steven is 13 here and connie is 12. next chapter will be the timeskip 3.5 years, so steven will be 16 almost 17 and connie will be 16.  
> *edit* i revamped this chapter because i wasn't happy with how short it was. also, after doing some research about the kids birthdays, i discovered steven's is in august and connie is a 1.25 years younger than him so her birthday will be in november


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i updated the first chapter like a day or two after posting it so it is quite a bit longer, give it a reread if you missed the update.

A dim morning light poured in through Connie’s bedroom as the obtuse beeping of a cow shaped alarm clock quickly brought the sleeping girl into regrettable consciousness. 

Despite the rude awakening, Connie couldn’t help the energy that poured through her as excitement washed over her brain. After all, today was finally moving day. 

Most times her family switched locations due to Doug Maheswaran’s job, Connie had been less than pleased. It ultimately led to her being unable to make stable friends and build relationships with people. The act itself was exhausting and prevented her from having many sentimental items, so she lived a life of minimality. 

However, this time was going to be different. Priyanka decided that with Connie in high school, there was a need for consistency in order for her daughter to keep her grades consistent in preparation for college. Not only that, but Beach City was well known for its uh, beaches (what can she say, it had to be named that for a reason). If Connie were to be studying harder than ever, she would also need something to help her relax. The surrounding ocean and laid back atmosphere would be perfect for that. 

The high school itself was a bit outside of Beach City; instead, it sat on the suburbia of Ocean city. After the political/economical collapse of the city itself, Priyanka didn’t want her daughter living there no matter how good the school program was. So they settled on the best of both worlds--a safe, beautiful town, and a nice school. The only downfall was the thirty minute bus ride to the building from their house.

As if on queue, the voice of Priyanka echoed up the stairs, calling for her daughter, “Honey, you better be getting out of bed now. We have a big day!”

“Yes Ma’am!” Connie yelled back. 

Since she had mustered up the courage to tell her parents how suffocated she felt by them roughly half a year prior, they had been significantly more lax with giving Connie more independence and privacy. They had even allowed her to get a new phone without restrictions on it, as long as Connie paid for it herself. 

Though the girl had tried to find Steven again, she knew it had been too long. Three and a half years to be exact. However, just because he had been forced out of her life as soon as he had entered it didn’t mean he hadn’t left anything behind. Connie had been influenced by him to make more of an attempt at gaining the friendship of people in her life. 

He had proved to her that you didn’t really need the physical aspect of a person to appreciate them. That being said, she had also discovered that it was much more difficult than anticipated to make people want to put in the effort to keep in touch when they knew that she’d be leaving them in a few month’s time. 

Which was exactly why she was so excited to be in Beach City, permanently (or up until she finished high school).

Connie hurriedly put on a pair of running shorts and a simple white T-shirt, ready to sweat with the multiple trips to the moving truck she knew she’d be making today. Nearly everything she owned, which wasn’t a whole lot, was already packed into boxes around her room. 

After running a brush through her long, dark brown hair, she went downstairs to scarf down some of the oatmeal her mom had left on the stove. 

Once the necessity of breakfast was finished, it was time for the grunt work. The majority of her evening was spent packing away boxes big and small, heavy and light, until their home was barren. It looked significantly larger than before; Connie was amazed at the difference it made. 

The only thing left was the cleaning process.However, just as she was plugging the vacuum into the socket on the wall of her naked bedroom, Priyanka appeared in the doorway.

“We appreciate all your hard work today, Connie. I know you have the new school in just two days, so I want you to ride with me to Beach City tonight and let your father take care of the rest with the movers. That way we can have things settled in and you can be prepared.” A small smile graced her mother’s lips. 

Connie quickly agreed. She was quite tired and getting there before dark would definitely be preferable. The drive from Jersey to Delmarva was approximately 3 hours, hopefully enough time to take a nap or at least rest her eyes. 

Much to her dismay, her mother seemed to have other plans for her when the older woman slid into the passenger seat. 

“This is a perfect opportunity for you to get some hours of practice in!” 

The driving permit Connie had acquired was the first step she had taken in gaining her independence. She hadn’t counted on her mom insisting that they actually log all of her driving hours to insure she had the right amount of practice required by the DMV to get her license by the time she was 16. Still, driving held a certain type of excitement/anxiety that was appealing to a new permit holder such as herself. 

Without too much of fuss, Connie slid into the driver’s seat of the small car and started the engine before slipping her backpack on the seats behind her. The only thing left to do was plug in the aux cord and pick the playlist of songs that her and her mom both enjoyed. 

The pair were off. 

The drive, though long, wasn’t bad. The sights they passed through as the landscape gradually shifted from a dirty, urban city to expansive green farmlands held a certain kind of beauty Connie could never get used to. 

Still, once they started entering back into the more urban city of Wilmingmore, her growling stomach couldn’t complain about the subtle lack of greenery--it was more focused on the heavenly smells coming from the small diner they were parked in front of. 

Connie couldn’t help but admire the retro themed building. Neon lights surrounded the trim outside, and the inside was fitted with red and cream leather stools and booths. There was even an old jukebox sitting forlornly in the corner, most likely out of order judging by the dust bunnies holding communion on the top of it. On the walls with chipped tan paint sat framed pictures of the grand opening, the owners, and what was most likely the regulars of the time several decades ago. The steady hum of Chuck Berry truly solidified the mood, if the jukebox hadn’t done it already.

All of her thoughts were whisked away as Connie caught another whiff of the heavenly scent drifting from the kitchen. Quick as possible, she slid into a booth across from her mom and ordered the biggest but healthiest looking sandwich she could find off the menu. Her stomach grumbled in approval of her choice. 

Priyanka’s voice shook her out of her food reverie. “I want you to take another extracurricular activity this year; you need something physically engaging if you’re going to be acing all of those AP classes,” she sipped her glass of water the waitress had brought over. “Do you have an idea of what you’d like to do? I know you’re familiar with tennis, so that’s always an option.”

Connie tapped her chin. She had thought about something she’d like to do, but had been putting off a conversation about it because she was afraid of how it would go. Now or never, she supposed. The worst her mom would do is say no.

“Actually, I have been thinking about something a lot. It would be new to me but I think I would enjoy it a whole lot more than anything else,” Connie eyed her mother carefully over her apple juice. She was intrigued. “I’d like to learn how to fence.”

Priyanka’s brows furrowed slightly, showing her apprehension. “Why fencing?” It wasn’t a no. The older woman had been trying very hard to respect her daughter’s want for independence, and indefinitely respected Connie’s thirst for knowledge and skills. That being said, she didn’t understand the value of fencing. How would it help her?

“It utilizes quick thinking, strategy, and strength all in one! Plus it requires form and concentration. It’ll help me sharpen my brain, get stronger, and I’ll be able to better defend myself!”

Priyanka shook her head slightly. How did Connie get so smart? It never ceased to amaze her how her daughter found a point in every small thing she studied.

“Well, you certainly make a convincing argument. I’ll need to think about it, and we’ll have to talk to your father. But if you think this is what you need, we’ll support you.”

A huge grin split Connie’s face. “Thanks, Mom! I won’t disappoint you.” 

With full stomachs and takeout boxes, the pair finally arrived in Beach City a mere forty minutes later. The skinny townhouse her parents were renting was on the outskirts of the main tourism area, approximately a half hour walk. It had three stories--on the main floor was the kitchen and living room. The second floor held the master bedroom and a large bathroom. Connie’s room was on the third floor, along with a connected bathroom and across from her door was the laundry room. It was perfect for their small family of three. 

By this time, the sun was just beginning to set. The pair worked tirelessly to get the small car unpacked of all the basic necessities before Doug arrived with the moving truck.

It was nearly an hour later when the truck did pull up, and another 3 hours to get everything inside. It was 11:30 at night when they finally declared their set up “Good enough,” and settled in for the night.

The next morning was spent sorting everything out. The Maheswarans’ weren’t ones to leave boxes sitting for any longer than they had to. Connie, however, was having a small crisis.

This would be the first time she could personalize her bedroom without having to take it down in a few months time. She had too much freedom for the first time, and had no idea where to start. What kind of look did she want to go for? Did she want posters or shelves on her walls? Maybe both? The possibilities were endless!

Realistically, she knew that her room would grow with her experiences, but right now she was too excited to process that. Connie’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her mom calling for her.

Doug and Priyanka were both sitting in the kitchen, and motioned for Connie to take a seat.

“We discussed you taking fencing lessons, and agreed that with the points you brought up it would be beneficial to your education. That being said, we’re going to leave it up to you to find a teacher that you can commune to by yourself.”

Connie gave a mock salute, but soon let her smile overtake it. “Yes Ma’am! I’ll get looking right away. Thank you so much!” 

Doug rubbed the side of his face warily. “Just don’t get hurt, please!”

His plea fell on deaf ears as Connie was already dashing up the stairs for her phone. She settled on her bed, tummy down. As her phone screen turned on, something made her heart stop for a moment before speeding up as adrenaline pumped through her.

A missed text from an unknown number, nearly identical to one she got three and a half years ago.

_ hey pearl i just got my new phone! it didnt save any of my contacts so i had to get your number from amy again lol _

_ [selfie pic] _

_ the camera is god tier btw _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, this was mostly a filler/transition chapter but it was pretty necessary. i'm also very rusty with narrative, please work with me while i get my foot back in the door of writing aksjkdhs  
> also! i just wanted to thank everyone who's dropped a comment or kudos on this, you have no idea how much it inspires me to keep writing and get chapters out faster <3 i'm trying to make some artwork for this fic so we can have visual representations of what pics connie's getting, but it'll probably be another week or so  
> thank you for your support!!


	3. Chapter 3

_ hey pearl i just got my new phone! it didnt save any of my contacts so i had to get your number from amy again lol _

_ [selfie pic] _

_ the camera is god tier btw _

Connie stared at her phone, jaw dropped. There was no way.

There was just no way.

After all these years, the same boy with the same curls was staring back at her through her illuminated phone screen. The same boy who had shown her what a friendship felt like. The same boy who was ripped out of her life as quickly as he had come into it. 

Except he was slightly different. More filled out. The soft edges of his features had gotten sharper, though not by much. It was more as if he had grown into them. Steven stood, flashing the same dorky peace sign he had given here three and a half years ago. A pink varsity jacket hid most of his form, but Connie could make out a pale blue shirt beneath. Two gold star earrings peaked out from behind his curls, and his tongue was stuck out at the camera, though his lips were bowed upwards in a playful smile. 

It truly was the same person. And he was extremely pretty.

Still reeling, Connie didn’t notice when the line of three dots popped up, indicating that Steven was typing, until her phone dinged and she startled out of her thoughts.

_ come on pearl i know u read my texts like10 mins ago, dont leave me hangin! _

Oh god it had really been ten minutes, Connie realized. What was she supposed to say?  _ ‘Haha remember texting some random girl by accident when you were 13? Well, you did it again! Thanks for being my first and only friend, dude!’  _

Still, this was her chance to rekindle the chemistry she had been longing for since she had lost his contact. But what if he had changed? Obviously he had to have changed in the past three years, that’s a long time. Maybe he wouldn’t want to spark up conversation anymore. What if he was angry that she had just stopped talking to him out of the blue?

At the same time… What if he wasn’t? What if he missed her just as much as she missed him?

Connie wanted to know him. She wanted to know what he had done with his time between when they met and now, she wanted to know what his favorite color was, she wanted to know who he was now. She wanted a friend. She didn’t want to have to leave people behind anymore. She wasn’t going to lose him again.

Connie took a deep breath.

**Holy shit steven???**

**This is archimicarus, do you remember me from 3 years ago?**

A smile formed on the girl’s lips, remembering how she had made Steven call her after her favorite falcon friend from The Spirit Morph Saga.

His response came almost immediately

_ OH MY GOD WHAT _

_ WHA _

_ HOW _

_ ofc i remember, how could i forget ???? _

**Omg i cant believe you found me again!!**

_ me neither!!!!! _

_ how did i manage to get pearls number wrong both times wtf _

_ i must have sausage fingers smh _

_ im so glad i do now tho _

**Me too!!**

**God its been so long**

_ i know!!!  _

_ what happened? we were just talking and suddenly u never responded to me, then i was blocked _

_ did i annoy you that much ? lol _

Connie’s heart dropped a little. Even though it wasn’t her fault, she couldn’t help but feel terrible for making Steven think it was his fault that she stopped talking to him. 

**NO!!**

**Absolutely not**

**My parents were extremely protective of me, and the deal about getting my phone was that it would only be for texting them or people from school about group projects, so when they found out i had been talking to a stranger they took my phone away, blocked your number, and set up a ton of new restrictions**

_ oh jesus _

**I swear i tried to find you, but they deleted your contact and there are way too many steven’s with the same area code as us**

_ i looked too! i figured u used the name archimicarus on some social media or something, but all that came up was the bird from spirit morph _

_ which i finished reading btw, its rlly good! even if i accidentally read the 3rd book first oops _

**ok we definitely need to talk about spirit morph at some point and also reading them out of order is a Sin but first things first,**

**I’m really sorry for having ghosted you like that, i swear it wasn’t up to me and i was really upset about it for a long time**

_ its ok!!!! i was p torn up abt it when i was younger, but my dad helped me realize that it was something out of our control  _

_ im just super happy to have u back now _

_ that is, if u wanna be friends again? _

**YES**

**We never had another jam session!**

_ omg ur right!!! jam buds reunited! _

_ before we get too deep are ur parents still like that? should i anticipate u ghosting me for another 3 years? _

**God no, i had a long healthy chat with them about how they were ruining me mentally and they really loosened up the reigns**

**In fact, theyre not allowed to take my phone as long as i pay for it myself, which i do by getting above 87% on all my school assignments**

**Which i have no problem with because im the best**

_ i expect nothing less! _

_ anyway are u gonna tell me your name now that ur parents will let you talk to strangers?? _

**Hmmm**

**Thats a good question**

**Maybe i shouldnt**

_ but archimicarus is soo looonggggg and hard to type D: _

_ and u know my name!!! this is unfair! _

**but what if youre a 50 y/o trying to catfish me**

_ youve literally seen me at age 13 and now im nearly 17 _

_ that would be the most elaborate catfish ive ever heard of _

**Its still a possibility though**

_ :((( _

_ if u tell me ur name i’ll forgive u for disappearing for 3 years _

**Hmmmm**

**You drive a hard bargain**

_ i’ll even throw in a selfie ;o _

_ [selfie pic] _

**Alright Mr. Steven, you have yourself a deal**

_ :DDDDD !!!!!!!! _

**My name is connie**

_ connie!!!!!!!!! _

_ connieconnieconnie _

_ thats so pretty !! _

**It’s just a name!!**

_ A PRETTY NAME!!!!! _

_ and ur name! _

_ and better than archimicarus! _

**No way Archimicarus is way cooler**

_ it may be cooler but connie is better _

**Hmm**

**Yeah okay youre right**

_ im always right _

_ anyways what have u been up to?? _

**For the past 3 years????**

_ yes????????? _

**Idk????????????????**

_ im gonna bully u  _

_ tell me abt ur life!!! _

**Im just messing with you lol**

**Idk though? I’ve moved around a few times each year for my dads job**

**Actually my parents decided they wanted me to have a stable high school life, so we just moved into the new house today**

**I’m really excited to be out of the city, and to maybe finally be able to make some friends**

_ have u not been able to make many friends bc of the moving? _

**Nope, nobody wants to be friends with someone who they know will be in a different city in a few months time**

**Except for you apparently**

_ i see _

_ well in that case i’ll be the bestest friend youll ever have _

**Thank you, i really appreciate it**

**Enough about my sad emotionally repressed life, what have YOU been up to? Have you added any new instruments to your camaraderie?**

_ yes!!!! _

_ i taught myself piano! and my drums have gotten way better _

_ plus i tried violin for a month or so but it didnt quite click _

_ ur gonna have to be the best at it for me _

**I can do that**

**It’s really cool that you know so many instruments!! You’re like a one man band**

_ my dad taught me nearly everything i know!! _

_ he was a rockstar back in the day _

_ now hes the manager of my friends band and they tour around the states _

**Ohh thats really cool! What kind of music do they do?**

_ sadie killer and the suspects are kind of like a grunge rock type of deal??  _

_ its hard to explain lemme just show you _

_ [video file] _

_ this is from one of their biggest shows in empire city, its called g-g-g-ghost _

**holy shit that was amazing**

**I have chills**

**Im gonna have to listen to all of their music**

_ yeah!! theyre super good _

_ im actually travelling with them and my dad right now to keystone state for some band/carwash equipment + my new phone _

**Car wash??**

_ my dad also owns a wash in our home town lol _

_ he has someone run it while hes out on tour but thats what he does when hes there! _

**Oh nice! Sounds like a fun side gig**

**Do you travel with him a lot?**

_ not too much recently _

_ i used to work the tours with him and really enjoyed it but eventually got tired of being on the road all the time, considering i was also raised in a van until i was like 5  _

**Wow i understand that way too well**

**Obviously i didnt have the same circumstances as you but like moving every few months leaves you with a need for at least one consistent thing to hold on to**

**Kind of an anchor in the middle of a hurricane**

_ exactly!! _

_ even though i live in a p small town and get sick of it at times its way better than before _

_ plus being able to drive save me from being to claustrophobic  _

**Ooh that’s gotta be nice**

**I have my permit rn but its still gonna be another four months until i get my license :(**

_ ooo so ur birthday is in november?? _

**Yep! November 23**

**Wbu?**

_ august 15! im turning 17 :0 _

**wowowow you’re so old!!! Thats just next month!**

_ im not that old!!!! rude _

**Compared to you im just a wee baby ! I’m only 15!**

_ UR GONNA BE 16 SOON!!! _

**Yeah in 4 whole months**

**That’s ⅓ of a year**

_ whatever im gonna be young forever _

**Join the fairies, im sure you’ll fit right in**

_ whats that supposed to mean??? _

**That you’re pretty??**

_ oooooh _

_ oooooooohhhh _

_ u think im pretty ??? _

**Well yeah? How would i not**

_ i bet ur pretty pretty too :o _

**Pretty pretty? is that like ultra pretty?**

**Pretty squared**

**Also you’ve never even seen me so you dont know that for sure**

**I could be an ugly young hag who lives in the forest**

_ well ur voice was pretty when u were 12 and thats all i need to hear _

**[selfie pic]**

**There**

**It’s only fair since you’ve blessed me with your face so many times**

_ :OOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! _

_ wowowowowowowowowoowow _

_ i was right _

_ u are so pretty!!! _

**Asdhfsjdh thank u**

_ ofc!!!!!! _

_ are u embarrassed ?? _

**NO WHAT WOULD GIVEU THAT IDEA HAHAA**

_ hmmmmm idk connie _

_ what in the world would give it away _

_ maybe ur loss of perfect spelling  _

_ or the sudden key smash??? _

_ perhaps all of the above _

**skdhfskjdffh leave me aloooneee i dont get compliments like that often enough to know how to deal with them**

_ oh u just gave me so much ammunition against u _

**SHIT**

The pair chatted late into the night until Connie finally let the conversation taper off around two in the morning. She bid Steven a goodnight and tried to get her mind to slow down. It was still reeling from meeting her best friend for a second time.

Was it okay to call him her best friend? He was her only friend, but Connie was certain that even if she had more Steven would still hold a special place in her heart. He was someone she could be herself with. Maybe that was too much right now. They literally only started talking again a few hours ago.

Right. She needed to pace herself. Just because she was inexperienced in the field of people didn’t mean she had to obsess over someone giving her attention. That was just crazy.

Just as Connie was about to give in to sleep when a thought entered her brain that had her shooting awake. Steven had distracted her from looking for a fencing teacher!

Her eyes took a moment to adjust to her bright phone screen as she squinted at it--2:33 a.m. Yikes. 

After a quick google search, she found only one teacher within a 20 mile radius of her home. Going by the name of Ms. P, her profile picture showed a woman in her early 30’s with a pastel pink dyed pixie cut and stunning pale blue eyes set to match against her ivory skin. A pointy nose sat above her warm, polite smile. 

As Connie read her profile of sorts, she figured out that Ms. P had been a mentor of fencing since she was 18. She taught private and group lessons for a very reasonable price, and was located just outside of the main township of Beach City. It seemed to be a mere forty minute walk from her house, near the ocean. Perfect.

With that taken care of, Connie plugged her phone in and closed her eyes, passing into the dreamland almost immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys so much for all the support!!!  
> things are picking up a bit this chapter so we finally get to see them interact as stupid teenagers woo!


End file.
